1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods of applying designs to materials, particularly dispersed dyes to plastic articles including webs, and the articles produced by these methods.
2. Prior Art
With the widespread use of plastic articles in business and in the home, the need for suitably decorating these articles is obvious, e.g. articles such as table and counter tops, wall paneling, furniture and the like. However, plastic surfaces have uniformly resisted printing and design applications and paper-printed designs laminated to plastic sheets have resulted as a substitute. This industry is referred to as high pressure decorative molding. As an alternative solution to the above difficulties, design, colors, patterns, printing and the like have been applied to plastic sheets, particularly film, of necessity, by specially treating the plastic film surface, e.g. corona discharge treatment, printing on the film surface and adhering the film to the plastic sheet. This procedure requires numerous steps and difficulties are encountered such as rub-off of the printed matter from the film and difficulty in obtaining lay-flat and good adhesion of the film to the substrate. To avoid printed matter rub-off, the film has been frequently printed on the reverse side and the printed side adhered to the substrate the printed matter being viewed through the film. This procedure, however, requires a transparent film and raises problems including adhesion difficulties of the printed side of the film to the substrate.
Fabric decorating, on the other hand, has evolved to a well developed technology and patterns, colors and designs are readily imprinted thereon as follows. Design dyes are printed on so-called heat transfer papers, which papers are then placed against the desired fabric and heat and limited pressure (1 to 5 psig) applied and the dyes sublime into vapor form and transfer from the paper to fabrics, the design intact.
Although it has long been desired to apply the fabric design process to plastic materials, the translation has proved unworkable, since the heat required to sublime the dyes also is sufficient to soften the plastic receptor surface, as well as the dye adhesives on the transfer paper, and paper and plastic fuse together. This impediment has made the application of the fabric printing method to plastic materials practically impossible. There is, therefore, a need and market for a process for imprinting plastic materials in a durable, efficient manner, so as to obviate the above difficulties.
One method for overcoming these prior art difficulties is disclosed in applicant's parent application and mentioned hereinabove. While the methods disclosed therein are satisfactory, other alternates and improvements thereto are desirable.